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| Tharu man making a fish trap. |
The Tharus are the largest and oldest
ethnic group of the Terai Region (in the southern plains of Nepal) and they are
the original inhabitants of the Chitwan area. For centuries this lands where
infested by malaria -to which the Tharus are genetically resistant- so they
remain isolated for years, allowing them to develop their own unique culture,
language and traditions. But during the 1950s the Nepalese government eradicate
the malaria in the Terai region and thousands of migrants from the mountains
came here to claim these fertile lands, changing forever the traditional life
of the Tharus. This people are known as Pahadya.
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| Tharu woman with traditional dress. |
The Tharus are very attached to nature
and even now they get much of what they need from the jungle: different types
of grass, wood, clay, bamboo, plants and herbs. They use these natural materials
to build their thatched houses, elaborate baskets, produce organic fertilizers
for the soil and also for medicinal purposes.
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| Tharu woman from different families work the land together during harvesting season. |
Tharus are great farmers and they still
farm in traditional ways in these very fertile lands. They grow barley, wheat,
maize, rice, lentils and vegetables and also raise chickens, goats and ducks.
They are very good fishers as well, using large nets and bamboo traps to catch
fishes from the nearby rivers. Since the old times the Tharus have lived in
groups for protection against enemies and wild animals and to help each other
with the farm job. Until today they are still organized in several families to
work together the land during the busy times.
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| Tharu girls painting hands on the mud houses during Diwali Festival. |
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| Traditional Tharu dish: river fish curry, sticky rice, rice bread, vegetable curry, pickle, dhal and pop corn. |
